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Not sure if ‘celebrate’ would be quite the right word, but compassion, knowledge, awareness, and empathy might be some better ones towards those in our midst who may be experiencing symptoms which can be of wide varying & sometimes troubling degrees…..

SOMETHING ABOUT…..“after 82 years in business in Vancouver, a liquidation sale has up to 250 umbrellas being sold per hour as discounts drive sales”….

Apparently the owners have decided to close for health reasons and their website reads nicely—“our designs and love will live on in the rainy streets around the world, but it started with you, Vancouver. … Thank you for giving us the honour of sheltering you from storms, no matter how temporary.”

Cheers to stay dry!

SOMETHING ABOUT….“cook, not re-heat & with every supper, have salad!”

Yes, yes, moms have said through eternity—-“eat your vegetables dear!”

Cheers to a decisively wonderful Wednesday that sings—which salad?– it’s a toss up!

…”Crop the top: Vancouver convention centre set for its annual mowing”…”Former Governor-General to become executive adviser at Deloitte Canada”…”Pandan leaves are the latest ‘new avocado’ “….

That’s right, you read that correctly, the six acres of living-roof at Vancouver’s now well known and beloved convention centre is ready for a team of six who “will mow the grass on the roof using a single lawnmower, a single blade trimmer and a trio of line trimmers.”

Interestingly enough, “more than 400,000 plants and grasses, from 25 species native to the region, grow on the roof. Four beehives on the roof produced 45 pounds of wildflower honey this year and during the drier summer months, the roof is irrigated using water originally used in the building’s washrooms but recycled by the building’s treatment plant.”

….”The Great Recession is about to overtake the Great Depression”…”All wifi networks are vulnerable to hacking, security expert discovers”….

SOMETHING ABOUT….“the world is not recovering from the worst downturn in 70 years like it did from the ‘Dirty Thirties'”...

Apparently, “having too little demand is now as much a problem as having too much demand.” Economies plagued by mediocre or no growth, now seem to be the ‘norm’…..

SOMETHING ABOUT this startling headline saying “the potential weaknesses would not compromise connections to secure websites, such as banking services or online shopping”, somewhat less alarming.

Something to just be aware of, I guess!

For those who aren’t ‘asleep at the switch’, unbeknownst to me, October 16th is World Anaesthesia Day! ….“it commemorates the first successful demonstration of ether anaesthesia on October 16, 1846 and that ranks as one of the most significant events in the history of Medicine and took place at the Harvard School of Medicine. The discovery made it possible for patients to obtain the benefits of surgical treatment without the pain associated with an operation.”

Cheers to an always paying attention, attentive, observant, vigilant kinda day that sings—AWAKE!!!

SOMETHING ABOUT….“coming to Canada to study with 62% having the intention of seeking permanent residency, but only 25% actually staying due to uncertainties around immigration programs, work permits, and constantly changing policies.”

A confusing bunch of issues and situations which seem to shriek missed opportunities for many and for our country…..

One can’t help but wonder if all the energy and money that is going into Brexit exit negotiatons was being used to build up and enhance together something that had been in the making for more than four decades rather than dismantling it, how better off both Britain and the EU community could be!……hmmmm…(echoes of forgive them for they know not what they do?….)

…..”Coffee shops not doing enough to combat huge increase in disposable cups”…”Following ‘the Eaton’s death spiral’ Sears Canada to end 65 years of retail history”…

SOMETHING ABOUT...”just 1% of the 2.5 billion disposable cups thrown away each year in the UK are recycled.”

That’s a lot of cups! Not sure North America does much better with the issue….

What is it about Canadian department stores nowadays that they struggle to survive? Once a staple for one stop shopping, it seems the big box stores, online shopping, & the designer craze have been taking there toll on Canadian retail.

Hudson’s Bay & Holt Renfrew remain with, American ownership of the former and the Canadian Weston family controlling, what in Vancouver at least, seems to be increasingly an upscale store targeted primarily for Asian consumers as a one stop shop for ‘designer brands’.

And so it goes….

If you ever walked the length of Vancouver’s Robson Street lately, it’s a bit startling the number of empty storefronts which seems to indicate all is indeed not well for the Canadian retail sector. Big challenges ahead!

October 11th! It’s ‘Old Michaelmas Day’!. Did you know it? I sure didn’t.

Apparently, “Old Michaelmas Day falls on 11 October. It is said that the Devil fell out of Heaven on this date, and fell into a blackberry bush, cursing the fruit as he fell. According to an old legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date In Yorkshire, it is said that the devil had spat on them. According to Morrell (1977), this old legend is well known in all parts of the UK, even as far north as the Orkney Islands. In Cornwall, a similar legend prevails, however, the saying goes that the devil urinated on them.”

So there, you have it!

Blackberries anyone?…..blackberry pie?….blackberry tea?…

Cheers to a virtuous and saintly kinda wonder full Wednesday that has all in your path singing—you’re an angel!

It’s a Canadian holiday Monday and a Columbus Day holiday in the USA, a day to hopefully relax and recharge for the week and autumn/winter months ahead!

I didn’t know it, but Columbus Day has been celebrated in the USA since 1937, honouring Christopher Columbus and his ‘discovery’ of America in 1492.

It’s a phenomenon on both sides of the 49th parallel, that our history books or history lore shamefully ignore that throughout colonization or imperialism or all the words we could use to describe it, Indigenous people were here and were disrespected beyond acceptable.

Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light. Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory. Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning. Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young. Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone. Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground. Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky. Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall. Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring. Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life. Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain. An Ute Prayer

Cheers to a contemplative, reflective kinda Monday with good eats, that sings—yearning and learning!

…”Vintage photos of Vancouver amaze and startle”…”Why turkey is the perfect vehicle for many of our favourite flavours year after year”…”Winter tires will keep you firmly grounded in rainy conditions”….

Interesting to see, Vancouver looking north from the original Hotel Vancouver (Georgia & Granville) circa 1889, Howe Street running north/south. Then Granville Hudson’s Bay Company store 1920’s before 1926 when an additional two storeys were added to the four storey structure. And lastly, a slightly different view of the first Howe Street landscape!

SOMETHING ABOUT…”‘With its tame and inoffensive meat, turkey is often criticized for being flavourless. But this is exactly what makes turkey great.”

Will there be turkey in your Canadian Thanksgiving weekend?……“Why it is high time we liberate ourselves and escape the tasteless tyranny of turkey”reads another Friday headline!…..did someone cry fowl?!?!?!?!!!!…..

Those in British Columbia who like to travel to the much beloved Whistler, know that come October 1st, winter tires are required by law on the Sea to Sky highway!

The message of the day seems to be think ahead, and don’t wait to do something about winter tires once the first snowfall hits and everyone is playing Mr. Ms. Miss last minute!

Stay safe!

When the night winds whistle through the trees and blow the crisp brown leaves a-crackling down,When the autumn moon is big and yellow-orange and round,When old Jack Frost is sparkling on the ground,It’s Thanksgiving Time!

When the pantry jars are full of mince-meat and the shelves are laden with sweet spices for a cake,When the butcher man sends up a turkey nice and fat to bake,When the stores are crammed with everything ingenious cooks can make,It’s Thanksgiving Time!

When the gales of coming winter outside your window howl,When the air is sharp and cheery so it drives away your scowl, When one’s appetite craves turkey and will have no other fowl,It’s Thanksgiving Time! –Langston Hughes

Cheers to a fine Friday and long weekend that sings to all that is good—-thanks be!

….”VPD issue 2,000 distracted-driving tickets in September”…”Canada’s tallest condo tower 1 Bloor West set to rise in Toronto”…”Designer pajamas are returning to the bedroom but also taking to the streets”…

A first headline of the day that surely laments—“When will they ever learn??!!!”…...

SOMETHING ABOUT…“416 units rising 1,005 feet to 82 storeys”.

SOMETHING ABOUT….“a sleeper hit category that owes its revival to athleisure and the gig economy.”

They say “there was a time, before sweatpants and central heating, when most people owned clothes specifically designed for sleeping. But we have since foresakensilk PJs, cozy dressing gowns and monogrammed robes for old T-shirts and boxer shorts, in doing abandoning a whole category of fashion. Now, a growing number of designers and brands are endeavouring to bring sleepwear back.”

Athleisure….now that’s a new word to me!……apparently, “a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in other settings, such as at the workplace, at school, or at other casual or social occasions.”

Cheers to a calm & collected wonderful Wednesday that sings—comfortable!